4 Inch Pumps Or 6 Inch Platform Pumps

[trevor]

i used to find a 4 inch pump so sexy when my wife wore them out years ago. now she rarely wears them and i don't get that feeling anymore. she has many pairs of the new style platform pumps which range from 51/2 inches to 61/4 inches which she wears out now when we go out for a nice evening or every night in las vegas and every night on cruises. i find these higher heels so much sexier. when you put them side by side the 4 inch heel looks like a 2 inch heel. she also finds these platforms easier to walk on that the regular 4 inch styles. obviously most ladies today find this true because so many shoe stores are selling tons of these type shoes. what is everyones opinion on this?

[Heelster]

For me, single sole heels seem way to thin at the ball of the foot. I feel every single pebble etc. I prefer some kind of platform even if it's only a half inch. As for appearance, overall style seems to dictate what looks good on each individual. Doesn't apply to my S.O. - She doesn't wear heels at all.

[SleekHeels]

That's a great question. I think what you say is true, the taller heels on modern platform shoes can make 4" heels without a platform look less impressive than they used to. But I think that's mostly the case when just looking at the shoes alone... with feet in the shoes I think the "cheating" of the platform heels is revealed (which is probably what makes some platforms feel easier to walk in) and the elegance of a 4" heel is restored.

 

I must admit that so long as the platform isn't too thick (say no more than 1.5") I tend to find some platform styles more flattering in terms of having a nicer line around the toes and top of the upper and a nicer heel silhouette, whereas most single-sole heels I see tend to be too low-cut and the stiletto too exaggerated (at least for my personal preference). It seems to me like platforms have retained more of the variety in styling that I remember from 20 years ago, whereas the "retro" approach to single-sole heels seems to have become more clichéd and lost the creative edge. I'd probably buy more single-sole heels if that creativity and variety was rejuvenated and I could find the styling that appeals more to me.

[ilikekicks]

I tend to stay away from platforms. Maybe a half-inch one but thats about it, nothing more.

[mlroseplant]

For me, there are two factors which determine the attractiveness of high platforms. 1) The overall steepness of the shoe. A 6" heel with a thick 2" platform is just gross. Make it the same 6" heel with a 1" platform, and it's hot. Or go to a 7" heel with a 2" platform, that's ok, too. 2) The material of the sole/heel. Wooden heels with a higher platform look better than a leather heel of the same height. But different strokes for different folks.

[Chorlini]

Platforms heels make the wearer look like she (or he) has club feet. There's nothing graceful about them. The wearer is still only wearing a 4" heeled shoe, hell, I see a lot of platforms which are defacto even lower then that. And there isn't even a greater skill level required walking with platforms that would impress me as I know from personal experience that platforms are quite comfortable to walk in. There's after all a reason why platforms first took off in the stripper scene in the 90's, as those girls tend to be a lot in heeled footwear on their feet.

 

Still, anything is better then Uggs pr Crocs I suppose.

[jerbare]

I like the look of platform shoes and a good amount of the heels that I have are that. I have about 6 pair of brash heels in most of the colors that they have and a pair of 7" heels. I have gone out several times wearing the heels and have always had fav comments on my heels.

[bluejay]

Nice looking heels, jerbare. I especially like the hot pink colored heels. That's a perfect match for your shirt. I also like to wear color combinations where my shoes match the color of the top, I'm wearing. Great choice!

 

Also, you look great in your skirt too. Do you wear the skirt out, heeling.?

 

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[maninpumps]

I can't stand a non platform pair of heels. Personally the platform styles are easier for me to wear for longer periods of time and the more rigid platforms seem to be more sturdy . The thin sole on pumps look weak and just don't have any appeal to me . Then again, that's why they make so many styles . This has been an age old question in here, to platform or not to platform ? Everyone should just wear what they like. 

 

I do agree ...UGGS , Crocks and Jellies should be banned by the United Nations and all Warsaw Pact Nations !  

[Bassheels]

Personally, I prefer a platform, it's way easier on the balls of the feet. I think they look better on my feet too, but again it's down to personal preference.

[ilikekicks]

Platforms heels make the wearer look like she (or he) has club feet. There's nothing graceful about them. 

 

Still, anything is better then Uggs pr Crocs I suppose.

 

I believe your onto something here.

 

I have seen some skinny women TRYING to look graceful in a nice outfit with a pair of jackstands on their feet. It makes them look like they are wearing ' clubs ' or cinder blocks. In the same way, I have seen some women whom have some meat on their bones and they look ' ok '.

 

People can choose how they represent themselves, we all have that ' leisure ' to a certain point ( though, such a ' right ' is diminishing ).

 

What im speaking of is sometimes called the ' donk ' factor. Some of the local PR's have said such about the one pair of jackstands I wore to a card game. ' los zapatos donk ' as they called them ( the ones holding up my truck in my avatar ).

 

For those not familiar with ' donk ', heres some pics of a Corvette and a Mustang with ' donks ' on them.. the same effect can happen to any of us with platforms..

[Shafted]

I believe your onto something here.

 

I have seen some skinny women TRYING to look graceful in a nice outfit with a pair of jackstands on their feet. It makes them look like they are wearing ' clubs ' or cinder blocks. In the same way, I have seen some women whom have some meat on their bones and they look ' ok '.

 

People can choose how they represent themselves, we all have that ' leisure ' to a certain point ( though, such a ' right ' is diminishing ).

 

What im speaking of is sometimes called the ' donk ' factor. Some of the local PR's have said such about the one pair of jackstands I wore to a card game. ' los zapatos donk ' as they called them ( the ones holding up my truck in my avatar ).

 

For those not familiar with ' donk ', heres some pics of a Corvette and a Mustang with ' donks ' on them.. the same effect can happen to any of us with platforms..

Looks better on a car than on a person, but in either case it looks ridiculous on both. (Yes, the last sentence had a double meaning.)

[AZShoeNut]

I never used to like platforms but I have developed an appreciation for them over the last year or two. This year I was going to wear an awesome pair of nude platform pumps from Brash to the fundraiser but they changed up their event and was made only available to college kids through an ASU frat house this year. So I am starting to dig the style of the platform and there is also something about the way you have to walk in them that I dig too. I do have to say that it is far easier to walk gracefully in non-platform heels though because platforms seem to want to snap right into a vertical position where as single sole pumps tend to rock. I think to walk really smoothly that the rocking action helps. Best, Larry

[Lime15]

So I am starting to dig the style of the platform and there is also something about the way you have to walk in them that I dig too. I do have to say that it is far easier to walk gracefully in non-platform heels though because platforms seem to want to snap right into a vertical position where as single sole pumps tend to rock. I think to walk really smoothly that the rocking action helps.

 

This pretty much sums up how I feel about platforms as well.  As with all my heels, and other shoes for that matter, I like what I like and that tends to throw any kind of supposed iron-clad preference I may have for a loop time and time again.

[mtnsofheels]

I think that every person gets to pick what they like, and on some people platforms and non platforms can both look really good depending on outfit, confidence and how one carries themselves. Styles come and go and so does and individuls taste. I really like both styles and presently wear both eagerly with nice jeans, skinny and bootcut styles.

In time we can look back and know that at least we had a chance experience both styles, that is what I will like remember.

 

I think it does not really matter what someone else thinks I look like, donk or not, it is what I feel that counts to me. 

[jetheelsfan]

The platform reminds me of some orthopedic shoes some people with polio had to use to equalize the length of their legs due to the disease and/or a heavy duty build to attach braces.  I grew-up during a time prior to the polio vaccine availability in the mid-fifties.  Fore those who are not older than dirt, I doubt there is that association.  I had a friend who "hated" her "platform" calling it her "brick." She had to wear "big baby boots" and "oxfords" which she considered ugly.  Little did she know that she was just a few decades ahead of the "in-style" shoes of the future.  I lost track of her years ago. 

 

Personally, I do have the Brash Kosmic and find it different but not difficult to walk.  I have a couple of pair of 1/2' platform sandals from Fiona Nights that I find fun to wear.  But my favorites for myself and seeing on the gals is the single sole style shoes of years as the standard.  Again back to the 1950's and 60's when the girls of my age always wore the "dainty" Mary-Janes and Skimmer Pumps as a standard daily style to school.  And then they graduated to heels just as the "Mod Style Short Little Block Heels" invaded the continent.  The stilleto disappeared for a couple of decades and finally came back - single sole to platform.  So many styles today remind me of the "hated orthopedic" look of yesteryear. 

 

Unfortunately, my wife used to wear heels prior to the birth of our first.  When we met, she had a 2 1/2 inch wedge heel sandal.  I encouraged her to wear heels but I finally took the "hint" when the gifts basically were swallowed up into a black hole.  She did have a pair of 4 inch beige pleated Mary-Janes as my favorites until the pup got loose and treated the heel of one as a bone - oh how she could glide in those but never wore anything that high again unfortunately. 

[Majo]

I prefer non platform shoes. I can go for a thin platform of 1cm to 1.5cm (.3" - .5"). Thicker platforms tend to look clumsy for me.

Most of my shoes even 5" or 5.5" are non platform shoes.

[hhboots]

Several years ago, I had thought pretty much all platforms were bad and trashy looking.  In recent years, since a vast majority of heels being made these days have some sort of platform, the platform look has grown on me (mostly).  I like platforms that are less than 1.5" high, and almost anything higher than that still just looks silly to me (with a few exceptions).

[Heelsfor30]

6 inch platform pumps

[PolarSun]

Personally I prefer shoes without platforms, all my heels I have now are about 6 inch stilettos, I love the feel of wearing really high heels.

[Histiletto]

I tend to look at platforms the same way mlroseplant stated when he wrote about the steepness of the footwear slope. I have tried to walk in 7" single soled stilettos, but the construction of my feet and ankles won't allow me to stand in them without leaning on something else. I have managed to walk, or for a better descriptive word, prance in 6" single soled stilettos and right now I'm wearing a pair of 5.5" singled soled spikes that I have some movement of gracefulness in my attempts to walk. As far as I'm concerned, platforms should only be used for heels heights that exceed a person's ability to walk in the usual high heel stroll or gait. Seeing platforms used for heels less than five inches is viewed as an unnecessary attachment. They may still look attractive and satisfy some desires, but they cheat the purpose of wearing high heels, which is neither good or bad. It has filled the needs of some personal preferences and made it easier to wear extremely high heels, if you can stand the blocking configurations under the toe boxes. I tend to despise "stripper" heels for their use of the platform for they are just plain not desirable to me generally speaking.

[maninpumps]

I was just reading over some of the Replies to this topic and something came to mind. 1) The age of the wearer ? 2) The type of heel the person started to wear first? For instance when I started to admire high heels it was the mid to late 70's early 80's and platform heels were in style . Then in the late 80's the high heels were of the stiletto thin type and no platform then around 2005 the platform started to come back . I started out wearing a leather sandal with a platform . That is the style my sister's were wearing at the time. I think this is why I tend to wear platforms .This may be one of the reasons we all have different opinions on platforms or single sole heels. Kinda like the age old question Ford or Chevy both have great qualities and downfalls .    

[hh4evr1]

I prefer shoes/boots without platforms. I got into wearing heels in the mid to late 80s. I think my preference was influenced from seeing family members shoes. In particular one of my aunts who always wore stiletto court shoes with 4" heels (mostly black, but she had other colours too).

[chris100575]

I really like small platforms up to about an inch but not really any larger. A 5" heel with a 1" platform is sexier to me than a 6" heel with a 2" platform even though the arch would be the same. I like that platforms accentuate the length of the leg and allow a higher heel, and they do help to protect your feet from unexpected pebbles, which are really uncomfortable with a thin sole.

[SleekHeels]

I was just reading over some of the Replies to this topic and something came to mind. 1) The age of the wearer ? 2) The type of heel the person started to wear first? For instance when I started to admire high heels it was the mid to late 70's early 80's and platform heels were in style.

 

That's a good point. My formative heel years were the 80's, and I remember single-sole stiletto courts being the most desirable style, and that's stuck with me even during the times when stilettos have drifted out of fashion. But when I was younger I must've subconciously caught the late 70's too, and the first heels I ever remember trying on were black suede peeptoe courts with a bit of a platform, so that 70's to 80's transition time is probably my sweet spot. There are some platforms I don't like and some that I do, likewise for single-sole styles too. In the shops it's nice to have the diversity to choose from.

[AZShoeNut]

Howdy,

 

I can say that in most circumstances I agree that for a person to look good in platforms that they need to have a little meat on their bones.  Not too much and not too little.  I did, however, stumble upon a picture of Emma Roberts, who is quite skinny, rocking a pair of green suede platform pumps pretty well.  I think that her look, however casual, totally rocks.

 

Best,

Larry

 

asstars.com:

http://www.asstars.com/Heels_ERHL004_230.html

[w6ish]

i'd never go out with anything lower than 6 inches on the heel, add a 2 inch platform, we're talking hours of fun time.

[shrimper]

To each his (her) own. My mind connects platforms with drag queens who I don't find sexy at all. A single sole classic style pump with a 3 to 5.5 inch heel can't be beat (TO ME).

[RonC]

My tastes agree with yours, Shrimper

[saudade]

So because there are so many people here that are into really high heels, would the comparison of 5 inch heels versus 6 inch with 1 inch platform be a more fair comparison?

 

I'll note I find the platforms more fun to walk in than single soles. They also feel higher normally due to the overall shortening of the contact area due to the platform, but paradoxically they feel more grounded/stable. That and I really don't get the "jack stand" or club foot viewpoints. I guess if thats what you see its what you see but I just think they look nice. Both have a certain je ne sais quoi feel to each, I don't put either type on any pedestal to the other, just more consider them two interpretations of heels. Like a sedan versus a coupe since we seem to love car analogies.

 

Wear what you want, neither, either, or both. Denigrate the shoes not the wearer, but in the end its down to preference.